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Boni community in Lamu face starvation, plead for food and water

Sunday December 3 2017

An aerial view of Boni Forest in Lamu County in this photo taken on June 2, 2016. Pandaguo villagers in Lamu West have been hit by an acute food and water shortage and have asked for relief food, as they still cannot hunt and gather inside the Boni Forest. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

In Summary

Rivers and boreholes have dried up and some boreholes have turned salty following a dry spell.

Residents say they no longer receive relief food, despite being promised food after being kept off Boni Forest – their main source of food and water.

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The Pandanguo Boni Community spokesman Ali Sharuti said they sometimes go for days without food or fresh water.

Mr Sharuti also questioned why the national government was no longer distributing relief food to the Bonis.

When the multi-agency Operation Linda Boni was launched in 2015, the national government promised to provide food aid and other humanitarian assistance to the Boni community after all the villages occupied by the Boni, including Pandanguo Village, became Linda Boni Operation zones.

WATER

Mr Sharuti also questioned why the county government stopped a water distribution programme to the village.

He appealed to the county and national government to sink boreholes at Pandanguo and all other affected areas.

“It’s almost six months since we received food from the national government. The operation has denied us access to the forest where we could hunt, gather fruits and harvest honey. We could also get fresh water from the rivers located deep in the forest,” said Mr Sharuti.

“We are now left at the mercy of the Linda Boni Operation personnel who pledged to ensure they would supply us with enough food and water until the operation comes to an end. But I am surprised that we no longer get the assistance as promised.”

Due to the high poverty level and lack of balanced diet, most children are suffering from malnutrition.